Why we need to talk about the myths that make us
Reflections on my recent podcast appearances on Premier Unbelievable and Nara Fellowship
Hello and a particular welcome to recent subscribers! I’m so glad to have people joining me on my journey into story, myth and meaning-making. And I’m excited to share with you a couple of exciting podcast appearances that I recorded a while back but have just been published – keep reading for those.
I also have lots of thoughts and articles in progress – time has been flying. I’ve got a review publishing soon of Martin Shaw’s Liturgies of the Wild and I’m working on a couple of articles on science fiction and sci-fi fandom. Also, I haven’t yet had chance to write up my full thoughts on Malcolm Guite’s Galahad and the Grail, this year’s Hutchmoot UK conference, the cancellation of the Doctor Who Christmas special or my trip to the Cambridge Apologetics Conference!
I’ve also been reflecting on “writing at the speed of life”, on my struggles to juggle my writing and creativity alongside work and family life. It’s not easy but I keep at it!
Narnia, Pullman and the need for myth with Damien Walter
First up, is a new Premier Unbelievable debate with Damien Walter discussing C. S. Lewis, Philip Pullman, myth and meaning-making. Damien is a YouTube science fiction critic and very attuned to the mythic dimensions of sci-fi, and I really appreciate his analysis and the online community he has built.
We took the recent discussion between Philip Pullman and Alex O’Connor of the Narnia books as a launchpad, discussing whether the Fall should be celebrated or lamented – you can also read my thoughts on that here:
So it was great to get chance to talk through some of the big questions about the human need for myth, and whether that points to something real and true. Do check out the debate and Damien’s YouTube channel and Substack!
For me, the big question is whether myth is purely something we need to build because of the quirks of our evolutionary development – or is it actually a signpost to something real, to a “true myth” as Tolkien and Lewis believed Christianity to be. I consider the historical case for Jesus’ life, death and resurrection to be surprisingly plausible and persuasive. I know many find that hard to swallow, but I’d encourage anyone to look into the history.
Community, conversation and creativity
The second podcast appearance is on Nara Fellowship, with Valerie Flynn. Valerie and I share an overlap of online communities – we are both part of “The Little Corner” of the Internet linked to the meaning crisis conversation, Estuary Protocol and all that jazz, on the one hand, and on the other hand to the Rabbit Room online creative community. Valerie edited the Writers of Meaning anthology, which is well worth checking out!
Our conversation covers community, intellectual hospitality, and juggling creativity with other obligations in our lives.
I particularly enjoyed the discussion of “cosy storytelling” and what are necessary ingredients for a good story – stories require tension, but how might the tension of difficulty rather than good vs evil drive some kinds of storytelling? What light might this cast on the Christian idea of Heaven and new creation, and not getting bored if we live forever in a perfect world?
Going deeper into the wardrobe (or TARDIS)
These kinds of friendly, respectful conversations encapsulate much of what I’m trying to do here at Bigger on the Inside.
In my writing and conversations, I look to story as a way of finding connection and common ground for talking about meaning, myth and our ultimate commitments – whether that takes the form of philosophy, fandom or traditional forms of religion. I’m drawn to the mythic, and its modern forms in science fiction and fantasy particularly, but every story is a way of making sense of the world on some level.
Over the years, I’ve keenly felt the pressures of our age of ‘meaning crisis’, of suspicion of narratives as well as an overwhelming competition of narratives. But I think stories offer us a good way of sharing different ways of looking at the world, and talking about stories allows us to uncover the hidden depths of what we believe and the stories we try to live by.
As well as a lover of story and mythology, I’m a Christian and believe that the Gospel story is true and uniquely fitted to our needs as human beings. But I want to listen well, learn from others and engage in genuine conversation. So I hope I am creating a place of genuine exchange and of intellectual honesty, rather than “preaching” in the negative sense (though I hope that from time to time my writing can preach in the best sense of telling stories with truth and power).
If you are on a quest for meaning, on a quest for truth, then I hope you will find my Substack a place worth hanging out – do join the conversation and share your responses to my conversations and to my wider project by leaving a comment below, or dropping me an email on caleb@biggerinside.co.uk.
I’d love to hear from you: what are the stories that shaped you? Do you feel the need for a myth to live by?